There are numerous situations in which the maximum power output of a power plant needs to be known. For example, the maximum power output may be needed to reserve a certain power capacity, to optimally dispatch the generated power, and to comply with certain requirements.
Estimating the maximum power output (also called the base load) of a power plant may be complex because the base load depends on various factors, including ambient conditions (e.g., temperature and pressure), plant state (e.g., age), fuel properties, and so forth. Some existing base load estimation algorithms may allow accounting for these factors when calculating the base load of a power plant. However, new designs of power plants may require new ways of estimating base loads.